Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer container, a developing device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus using those.
For example, there has been provided a process cartridge, which integrally includes as cartridge an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and at least one of a developing unit, a charging unit, and a cleaning unit serving as image forming process units configured to act on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum. This process cartridge is removably mounted to an image forming apparatus main body. Further, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is configured to form an image on a recording material through use of an electrophotographic image forming method. Examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus may include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer such as a light emitting diode (LED) printer and a laser beam printer, a facsimile machine, and a word processor.
Description of the Related Art
In the electrophotographic image forming apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as “image forming apparatus”), a surface of a photosensitive drum, which serves as an image bearing member and is generally formed of a drum-type electrophotographic photosensitive member, is uniformly charged. Next, the charged surface of the photosensitive drum is selectively exposed to light, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum. Next, the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum is developed into a toner image with toner serving as a developer. Then, the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum is transferred onto a recording material such as a recording sheet or a plastic sheet. Further, the toner image transferred onto the recording material is heated and pressurized so that the toner image is fixed on the recording material. In such a manner, image recording is performed.
In general, the image forming apparatus requires toner refilling and maintenance for various types of image forming process units. In order to enable easy toner refilling and maintenance, there has been practically used a process cartridge, which integrally includes a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, a developing unit, and a cleaning unit in a frame body and is removably mounted to an image forming apparatus main body.
The process cartridge type enables a user to perform maintenance for the image forming apparatus. Thus, operability can significantly be improved, thereby being capable of providing an image forming apparatus which is excellent in usability. Therefore, the process cartridge type is widely employed in the image forming apparatus. With regard to the process cartridge, there has been proposed, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-202737, a technology for reducing residual toner on a slant surface of an inner wall surface of a developer container. According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-202737, an elastic member is arranged between a sheet-like member, which is arranged in a vibratable manner on the slant surface of the inner wall surface of the developer container, and the slant surface of the developer container.
However, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-202737, a stirring member is brought into contact with only a distal edge side of the sheet-like member with respect to the elastic member to vibrate the sheet-like member. Therefore, only one vibration can be generated by one rotation of the stirring member.